Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 27 October (HL10860), what consideration they have given to granting for-profit housing providers the ability to issue respect orders and housing and youth injunctions through the Crime and Policing Bill.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are strengthening the powers available to relevant agencies under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to tackle ASB.

For-profit Social Housing Providers have grown in prominence since the 2014 Act first came into force. While it is important that all agencies have the powers they need to tackle ASB, it is also important that changes to the agencies that can use the powers in the 2014 ASB Crime and Policing Act are considered carefully, on a case-by-case basis. The addition of for-profit social housing providers as applicant agencies for Respect Orders, housing Injnuctions and Youth Inductions remains under consideration.

However, we are legislating in the Crime and Policing Bill to extend the power to issue Closure Notices to Registered Social Housing Providers, including For Profit Housing Providers. This will make it easier for Housing Providers to take swift action to prevent disruptive ASB.